Quite possibly one of the finest and most original examples of the celebrated 365 GTB/4 "Daytona" remaining in existence today. Fewer than 7,200 miles covered at the time of cataloguing. Quite likely the finest “Enzo era” Ferrari GT model designed and built. Stunning Pininfarina body design, race-bred V-12 Ferrari performance, and impeccably balanced driving dynamics with rear-transaxle drivetrain. Excellent documented history.

Debuted at the Paris Salon in October 1968, the 365 GTB/4 succeeded the highly regarded 275 GTB/4 and took place as Ferrari's new two-seat Grand Touring standard-bearer. Almost immediately, the 365 GTB/4 became known as the "Daytona" in honor of Ferrari’s electrifying one-two-three podium sweep at the 1967 running of the storied 24 Hours of Daytona. While various accounts of how the 365 GTB/4 gained its unofficial yet enduring "Daytona" name persist today, it is certain that the 365 GTB/4 was the last front-engine, V-12 Ferrari GT model designed and announced before Italian industrial giant Fiat's takeover of Ferrari road-car production in 1969. In addition, the 365 GTB/4 remains historic as the last 12-cylinder Ferrari to be officially sold new (and not as a gray market model) in the United States until the announcement of the Testarossa in 1984.

Continuing to utilize the tubular-steel chassis, 94.5-inch wheelbase length, fully independent underpinnings, and rear-mounted transaxle of its predecessor, the 365 GTB/4 Berlinetta differed dramatically in styling. Whereas the curvaceous 275 GTB/4 was clearly a traditional Pininfarina design, its design work on the 365 GTB/4 was a bold statement, being at once modern and edgy. Penned by Pininfarina designer Leonardo Fioravanti, who continues to maintain an independent styling studio near Turin, Fioravanti Srl., the 365 GTB/4 body shape profoundly influenced later Ferrari designs into the 1990s. Longstanding Ferrari coach-building partner Carrozzeria Scaglietti produced the striking 365 GTB/4 bodies with hand-formed and hammer-welded steel panelwork throughout with the exception of the lightweight aluminum-alloy doors, hood, and trunk lid. Initially, the headlamps were covered in clear Perspex, though retractable units were later introduced in 1971 in compliance with stringent U.S. safety regulations. Despite this revision, the original “Daytona” profile remained undisturbed when the headlamps were lowered when not in use. The 365 GTB/4’s quad round tail lamps are an iconic design element seen on many Ferrari models over the following decades. The elegant simplicity of the car’s aero-efficient Kamm tail, combined with the aggressive sounds emanating from the four chrome tail pipes jutting out from underneath the rear quarter-bumpers, continue to make a lasting impression on even the most seasoned Ferrari enthusiast today.

Power for the 365 GTB/4 was delivered by the enlarged Tipo 251 version of the basic 60-degree V-12 engine of the outgoing 275 GTB/4, now displacing 4.4 liters. Its twin-cam cylinder heads, developed by Franco Rocchi, a Ferrari engineer since 1949, added power to the racing cars of private Ferrari customers only a few short years before. The new engine – designated Tipo 251 – delivered a stout 352 bhp and 315 pounds-feet of torque at 7,500 rpm through six 40-millimeter Weber twin-choke carburetors. As with the 275 GTB/4, the 365 GTB/4's five-speed manual gearbox formed part of a rear-mounted transaxle for perfect 50/50 weight distribution and consequently excellent handling and roadholding.

While the "Daytona" may have lacked some of the visual "shock and awe" of its more exotic-appearing mid-engine archrival, the Lamborghini Miura, its relatively understated yet handsome Pininfarina styling remains an enduring benchmark of effective design today. Forgiving handling, easily modulated from understeer to oversteer in corners with judicious throttle application, was yet another "Daytona" strength. Its factory-claimed 174-mph top speed was a hair faster than that of the Miura and independently confirmed by Road & Track testers, who reached and famously photographed an indicated 180 mph on the speedometer. Even when later calculated and corrected, the speed still stood at a heady 173 mph! The magazine's test crew also recorded 0-60 acceleration in just 5.9 seconds and a 13.8-second quarter-mile time with a 107.5-mph trap speed, sufficient to humble the mightiest American 'supercars' of the era and challenge even the mighty Shelby 427 Cobra. Given its relative civility, sophistication, and 3,600-pound curb weight, the performance of the "Daytona" is tremendous, even by today's standards.

While intended from the outset as a fast road car, several 365 GTB/4s were raced in ‘Competizione’ form by their owners to great effect and it remained competitive long after most other competitors' cars retired. In fact, between 1970 and 1979, 18 "Daytonas" contested their namesake 24-hour race, resulting in five Top-10 finishes and two second-place podiums. The last included the GTO class win scored in 1979 by the Modena Sports Cars entry driven by John Morton and Tony Adamowicz. Importantly, this creditable result upheld Ferrari's honor, as all three of the newer 512 BB/LMs retired due to accidents, and it was achieved in the face of a veritable armada of purpose-built turbocharged Porsches. Not all of the Daytona's achievements were entirely legal, however, including a new and unofficial cross-country record run by Dan Gurney and Brock Yates during the “Cannonball Baker Memorial Trophy Dash," later known as the "Cannonball Run" of Hollywood movie fame.

What had initially been conceived as an interim model, while the world awaited the arrival of the mid-engine 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer, had not only stood as the costliest production Ferrari model to date but also the fastest, most attractive and, quite possibly, the most desirable sports car in the world. The Daytona was an incredibly important model for Ferrari, with today's marque experts citing 1,383 365 GTB/4 Berlinettas constructed from 1968 to 1974, plus 121 of the open "Daytona Spider." Of further importance to Ferrari enthusiasts, the Daytona represents the end of an era as the last front-engine, V-12, two-seat road car for more than two decades until the 1996 debut of the 550 Maranello.

This late-production 365 GTB/4 Daytona, numbered 16777, is an incredibly original U.S.-specification example with excellent documented history, factory-fitted new with air conditioning and completed during February 1973. As documented in Ferrari Serial Numbers Part I by Hilary A. Raab, Jr., 16777 was car number 1131 in the 365 GTB/4 assembly sequence. Once stateside, it was delivered new to Bill Harrah’s Modern Classic Motors of Reno, Nevada and then purchased new by Norman Silver of High Point, North Carolina. In 1977 at just 1,202 miles, it was sold to FAF Motorcars, which sold 16777 to Jake Weaver of Jackson, Mississippi. The next known personal owner of the Daytona was Homa Weerasuria of the San Antonio, Texas area, who acquired the car in 1980 and advertised it for sale in 1988 at 5,535 stated miles, with 16777 retaining the majority of its original paint finish and equipped with Borrani wire-spoke wheels. Noted Texas collector Jerry J. Moore purchased 16777 in the 1990s and kept it for several years, followed by Dieter Scherfenberg and latterly his son until 2005, when 16777 was sold to Stan Zagorski. Wayne Carini’s Continental Autobody performed a color change to stunning Fly Yellow in 2007 and then in 2010, California businessman Lee Barba became the Daytona’s next owner, eventually selling it to the Consignor earlier this year.

At the time of writing, 16777 has travelled only 7,173 miles and is simply incredible in presentation throughout, retaining the original interior, riding on beautiful Borrani wire wheels plus a matching mounted spare, and complete with professionally rebuilt Koni shock absorbers. The audio system includes a 1970s/80s Blaupunkt head unit with “gooseneck” control panel. Outstanding documentation includes the books and manuals, warranty booklet and warranty card in their leather pouch, plus a complete and correct tool kit and jack bag. The very definition of “Gran Turismo,” presented in wonderful condition throughout, 365 GTB Daytona 16777 clearly benefits from excellent care throughout its lifetime to date and with incredibly low mileage, it is simply one of the finest examples of these potent performers available today.